Bergen County to Receive Nearly $1 Million in Grants to Screen Residents for Cancer

Hackensack, N.J. -- Bergen County Executive Jim Tedesco and the Board of Chosen Freeholders announced today that the County will receive nearly $1 million in state grants to continue operating a pair of programs that provide cancer education, outreach, and screening for Bergen County residents. This announcement comes after the Freeholders adopted a series of resolutions on Wednesday, June 20th, authorizing the County Health Department to apply for and accept the funding.

Resolutions 587-18 and 588-18 authorize the acceptance of $774,682 in NJ Department of Health grants for the Bergen County Cancer Education and Early Detection (CEED) Program, which provides comprehensive outreach, education, and screening services for uninsured or underinsured Bergen County residents in cooperation with area hospitals. Now in its 22nd year of operation, the CEED program allows residents who meet financial and age/risk eligibility requirements to receive screening services for breast, cervical, colorectal, and prostate cancers.

County officials indicated that they planned to test roughly the same number of residents for breast, cervical, and prostate cancer this year. However, due to a change in colorectal guidelines recommending testing begin at age 45 instead of 50, additional demand has warranted the purchase of nearly 400 additional kits this year, allowing the program to perform 840 colorectal tests under the grant accepted Wednesday, June 20th.

Additionally, the County also adopted resolution 589-16, authorizing the acceptance of a $130,000 NJ Comprehensive Cancer Control Plan grant that will allow Bergen County to lead regional cancer outreach and education services for doctors and healthcare providers in Bergen and Hudson counties. The Comprehensive Cancer Control Plan program provides these healthcare providers with important information on prevention, screening, early detection, causes, and risk factors of chronic diseases such as skin, oral, lung, colorectal, prostate, breast, and gynecological cancers.

“As a cancer survivor, I recognize and understand the importance of early screenings, outreach and education,” said County Executive Tedesco. “These funds will go a long way toward helping the uninsured and underinsured across Bergen County get the help they need to fight cancer and win.”

“There is no simpler way to put it - these two programs save lives. Early screening and education are critical components in combating cancer of any kind,” said Freeholder Tracy Zur. “These state grants enable us to provide life-saving services to Bergen County residents without increasing county taxes.”

For additional information regarding the Comprehensive Cancer Control Plan and resources available to healthcare providers, please visit: http://www.nj.gov/health/ces/public/resources/occp.shtml

For additional information on the CEED program, eligibility, and instructions on how to access services, residents are urged to visit: https://www.co.bergen.nj.us/359/Cancer-Education-and-Early-Detection